1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for displaying pictures in a mobile terminal, and more particularly to an apparatus and method for displaying still pictures in the form of moving pictures.
2. Description of the Related Art
Mobile terminals have are now capable of transmitting high-speed data. In particular, mobile communication networks based upon an (IMT-2000) International Mobile Telecommunication-2000 (IMT-2000) standard can implement high-speed data communications as well as voice communications using mobile phones. The mobile terminals can process packet data and image or picture data.
A conventional image-processing device includes a camera for capturing an image and a display unit for displaying the image captured by the camera. The camera can use a charge coupled device (CCD) image sensor or a complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) image sensor. As small-sized camera devices have been developed, image capture devices have become miniaturized. The trend is to equip mobile terminals with camera devices. A mobile terminal can capture images, and display moving and still pictures. The mobile terminal can also transmit the captured images to a base station.
As the need for moving picture mail from communication carriers and consumers has increased, services for providing the moving picture mail are being implemented. It is expected that the moving picture mail services will increase. When moving pictures are transmitted, an image compression problem due to the large amount of data can occur. Furthermore, when the moving pictures are transmitted by the mobile terminal, the image compression problem is worse.
Conventional moving-picture signal compression is based upon Moving Picture Expert Group 4 (MPEG 4). When moving picture signals are compressed, an MPEG 4-based compression technique can appropriately compress a large amount of data but must handle a large number of million instructions per second (MIPS). It is difficult for the MPEG 4-based compression technique to be applied to ARM 7-based mobile terminals. For example, video on demand (VOD) service requires approximately 10 MIPS to perform an MPEG 4-based decoding operation. Approximately 200 MIPS are required to decode video mail using MPEG 4. For this reason, various coprocessors such as the Emblaze's chip, the Megapass's chip, the Alphamosaic's chip must be provided, such that there are problems in that the cost of hardware is increased and the size of hardware is increased.
Where the above-described image compression method is used, an image can be processed only by software. However, a solution having a high image update rate cannot be provided. A mobile terminal equipped with an internal camera or an external camera has a liquid crystal display (LCD) and a codec for compressing image data of still pictures. The codec for compressing the image data of still pictures can be a Joint Photographic Expert Group (JPEG) codec. Camera phones equipped with the above-described components are becoming generalized in a state in which broadband services such as IMT-2000 services are provided. Thus, moving picture signals received through the JPEG codec are consecutively compressed and stored as moving picture data, and, if necessary, the moving picture data can be transmitted in the form of moving picture mail.